


Archer

by bunnysworld



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Flirting, M/M, Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 16:43:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7765411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bunnysworld/pseuds/bunnysworld
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur meets Merlin at the British House in Rio for the first time and is immediately smitten. So he sneaks out to see the archer’s competitions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Archer

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Merlin and the Olympics belong to their respective creators. Any resemblance to real life people or events is accidental. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement of Merlin or the Olympics is intended. 
> 
> Notes: Sorry, this isn’t beta’d. I just felt like writing it since I saw the first competitions of the Olympics today. I have no idea if Team GB has either people in the archery competitions or a water polo team that made it to Rio. As I generally don’t know a lot about either of the sports nor the Olympics. Yes, I am well prepared, why do you ask? ;)

Arthur couldn’t take his eyes away. Admittedly, Merlin looked rather ridiculous wearing this bucket hat and the glasses that weren’t really sunglasses but took the glare of the sun away. The way he took a breath and lifted his bow, pulled the bowstring back and seemed to become one with his sports equipment took Arthur’s breath away, though. 

They had met at the British House in the Olympic village before the opening ceremony and he had been fascinated by the blue eyes and the infectious smile right away. Being part of the water polo team himself, he had never met many athletes from other sports, his team members and those of the other water polo teams being enough for him. Talking and laughing with the blokes from his team, he had bumped into the tall archer with the funny ears and the even funnier accent. He had gone to get some drinks as an apology and they had talked all night. 

When they met again at the opening ceremony, Arthur found out that Merlin’s competitions would already start the day after while his own wouldn’t for a couple of days, so after practice and team meetings, he had gone and watched the archery tournament. It looked as if Team GB wouldn’t play any role when it came to medals, but Merlin had told him that he would be happy enough if he got anywhere close to his top performance. It was the Olympic thought that counted. 

That was something totally alien to Arthur. He had trained hard, fought even harder, he wanted to win this, even though the British water polo team wasn’t one of the favourites. These were the Olympic Games, anything could happen. 

Merlin seemed to stand still as a statue – Arthur wasn’t even sure if he hadn’t stopped breathing a few moments ago – and let go. The arrow found its way into the yellow field of the target. It was difficult to see if it was a nine or a ten, so Arthur looked up at the display that showed the results. A nine. Which was great but if Merlin’s team wanted to stay in the competition, he’d have needed a ten. Too bad. 

Before the competition was over, Arthur had to leave. They had another team meeting and he couldn’t be late. So he only learned after the meeting that the men’s team was out, all hopes rested on the shoulders of one Merlin Emrys in the singles competition that would be held the next day. 

Merlin wasn’t anywhere to be found in the common rooms of the British House that evening, which almost made Arthur pout. Even though he had hoped to see Merlin and be able to wish him good luck for the next day, he understood that some athletes preferred to be alone before important competitions to not get distracted and be able to focus. 

Still, too bad. Arthur wouldn’t have minded some distraction. Then again, he was probably mistaken and Merlin was just a friendly person and hadn’t flirted shamelessly with him all evening long when they met. 

Arthur managed to get onto the stands for the archery competition and as much as he had suffered with the team the day before, the grin on his face got wider and wider. Not only was Merlin a sight to see when he was focused and doing his thing, he seemed to get better and more confident with every single arrow. 

In the end, athletes from other countries were a tad better but Arthur jumped up with the rest of the spectators when it became clear that Merlin had won the bronze medal and cheered as if he had won it himself. He stayed for the ceremony and had tears in his eyes when Merlin stepped on the podium and waved with the little bunch of flowers all winners got. 

 

“Thanks for the support.”

Arthur turned and smiled when he was faced with the archer. “Congratulations. That was quite impressive.”

“You’ve never seen an archery competition before, have you?” Merlin’s eyes sparkled with mirth.

Laughing, Arthur shook his head. “Just yours. Are you done with meetings and press and all that?”

“I hope so. It was almost as exhausting as the competition itself. Hey, are you going to get the medallist a celebratory drink now or does he have to go for that himself?” Merlin motioned towards the bar.

When Arthur came back with two glasses of champagne, he found Merlin talking to Percy, the goal keeper of his team. “Here you go.” Handing one glass to Merlin, Arthur couldn’t help but glaring at Percy. 

Percy just laughed. “I needed to congratulate Merlin on his medal. We’ve been at the same archery club as children. That was way before I discovered that I’m a bad archer and a much better water polo player.”

When Merlin smiled at him and stepped a bit closer, Arthur relaxed a bit. “You should get yourself a glass, too, so we can toast the winner.”

Shaking his head, Percy pointed over his shoulder. “The others are waiting for me and you know I’m not doing alcohol. I leave you two to it. Congrats again, Merlin.”

“I didn’t win.” Merlin still beamed as if he had. “It’s just bronze.”

“It’s much more than you expected, isn’t it?” Arthur clinked their glasses together. “So…congratulations.”

“That it is,” Merlin said after taking a sip. “I never thought…and now…I’ve won a medal!” His smile got impossibly wider. 

They found seats in a niche where not everybody would spot Merlin right away and give them a bit of privacy. 

“You have tell me how you did it. It looked as if you became better with each arrow. How do I do that in my sport?”

Merlin laughed. “It felt like it, too. There was a moment where I knew exactly that this is it. That I would be better than I’d ever been before.” He winked. “Might have been the spectators, too.”

“Do you even notice them? I tend to be so emerged in the game that I hardly notice that there are other people, too.”

“Of course I notice them. My sport is rather quiet compared to yours. You constantly have to deal with the noises of the water and everybody around you. If I don’t concentrate, I hear every cough and rustle from the stands.” Merlin smiled. “But you learn to block it out.”

“Impressive.” 

“And sometimes…just sometimes you notice someone special in the stands and the knowledge they’re there carries you a long way.”

Arthur frowned. Merlin had just said he blocked the noises and the mere existence of the spectators out, so how could he know who was up there watching? “Huh?”

Groaning, Merlin rolled his eyes. “Looks like I wouldn’t win a medal in flirting.” He blushed slightly.

A wide smile spread across Arthur’s face. “You are? Flirting, I mean?”

Worrying his lower lip with his teeth, Merlin threw him an insecure look. “I don’t seem to be very good at it. Or…or you’re just not interested.”

“You are.” Arthur beamed. “And I am.”

The smile was back on Merlin’s face. “How about a kiss for the medallist, then?”

Arthur laughed and happily obliged.


End file.
